(photo by Mitchell Layton)
Look, my stance on Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee is well known at this point.
His body of work – especially when compared to anyone else running a professional sports franchise in our nation’s capital – has earned him a lifetime achievement award in my mind.
At this point, I’m thinking GMGM would basically have to show up and punch my mom in the face in front of me to change my tune. (And even then I’d have to wonder what she did to provoke him, but I digress.)
So when I see the two moves that McPhee has pulled off in the last week – namely trading for Troy Brouwer and re-signing Brooks Laich – it only reinforces my belief the Capitals are lucky to have this man calling the shots.
For better or worse, the Caps are a team that excels in the regular season and then falls apart in the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks of the Eastern Conference, if you will.
Well, if that’s the challenge your team is facing, what’s the best course of action?
Do you make radical changes to the foundation of the team by trading away forward/enigma Alexander Semin and/or defenseman Mike Green? Do you stand pat and hope for the best? Or do you look at what it took for a team like the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup and see how you can use that knowledge to benefit your franchise?
From the looks of it, GMGM opted for what was behind curtain number three.
The Bruins didn’t win their first championship since 1971-72 by having more skill players than their opponents. They didn’t take home hockey’s most prized possession because they put together a prettier highlight reel.
No, they won thanks in large part to a white-hot goaltender and a locker room of blue-collar workers who happily sacrificed personal accolades for the good of the team.
Boston won three Game 7’s during their postseason run because when the going got tough, they had the right kind of players who were willing and able to grind it out and do the little things that make a difference in the playoffs.
The Vancouver Canucks had higher-profile players, but the Bruins had players who were harder workers.
Which brings us back to McPhee’s moves in the last week.
Trading away the 26th overall pick for the rights to a 25-year-old power forward who has never scored 20 goals in a season could be viewed as a steep price, but I’m okay with it.
Honestly, the time for stockpiling draft picks has past. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want the Capitals to suddenly become the Redskins (who never met a draft pick they wouldn’t trade away for a veteran player) – but this team’s window will not remain open forever.
Adding NHL-ready players now makes a lot more sense than drafting some kid who might develop into a contributor three or four years down the road.
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(photo by Carolyn Kaster)
Okay, seriously, enough with this Plaxico Burress nonsense.
Yes, the guy is finally out of prison after shooting himself in the leg and yes, he’s ready to return to football if the lockout ever ends, but his next paycheck isn’t coming from the Washington Redskins.
So if you’re one of the ‘Skins fans out there lobbying for the front office to roll the dice and bring in the nine-year pro, it’s best that you find a new hobby.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand why some folks out there have talked themselves into Burress being just what this offense needs. After all, we’re talking about an offense that finished 18th in yards and 25th in scoring last year.
And honestly, the Redskins receivers from a year ago weren’t exactly making people forget about the Fun Bunch or the Smurfs.
Things were so bad that receivers not named Santana Moss or Anthony Armstrong combined for just 25 catches, 339 yards and zero touchdowns. (You know it’s bad when Joey Galloway is the most productive person in the discussion.)
Although I firmly believe Moss will be back in Washington, there’s still a chance he ends up elsewhere next season. That thought alone should be enough to make the front office consider anyone and everyone out there.
But let me tell you why Burress won’t be playing in Washington – The Donovan McNabb Experiment.
Because the McNabb trade was such a colossal flop (not to mention the failures of other aging veterans such as Larry Johnson and Willie Parker), the Redskins finally seem ready to embrace a youth movement.
That’s why they were happy to trade back on draft day and acquire extra picks. That’s why they walked away with 11 new players – including three receivers and seven offensive rookies overall.
The Redskins brain trust finally seems ready and able to embrace what the rest of the NFL has always known – building through the draft is the best way to enjoy sustained excellence.
If you skimp on the draft and focus all of your efforts on free agency and trades, you end up with a top-heavy roster of aging vets with no depth. But if you dedicate your time, energy and resources into the drafting process, you’re much more likely to end up with a balanced roster that can actually survive when a starter or two gets injured.
That’s why there is so much excitement around rookie wide out Leonard Hankerson. He’s a guy with an impressive resume from a school known for churning out stud receivers.
If half of Hankerson’s skill set translates to the NFL level, the Redskins will have their best homegrown receiver in more than a decade. And think about the money allotted to a third-round pick, as opposed to breaking the bank on a free agent.
He’ll cost a fraction of the price, which allows the team to spend more money on some of the other glaring needs (can you say offensive line?)
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the elephant in the room in this discussion – the fact that Plaxico is a high-maintenance drama queen.
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